Tool Strings

Complete aircraft tooling strings employ common interfaces between layup molds, bond tools, trim and mill fixtures and assembly jigs. Shared designs and data minimize risk by ensuring that tooling holes and mating surfaces line up correctly from tool to tool.

Concurrent design and engineering of the entire string

Utilizes capacity across three tooling facilities, catering to the niche expertise of each, to simultaneously produce entire string

Small to large layups molds and bond tools

Subassembly jigs to large final assembly jigs

Thrust-Reverser Blocker-Door Tooling String

Ascent Engineering provides concurrent design of all tools, reducing the design phase from 12 to 8 weeks. CATIA 3D and 2D modelling is provided to the customer and, once approved, to the tooling facilities, which begin simultaneous production.

Coast Composites sets to work on Invar inner and outer skins, accounting for spring-in angle and CTE compensation, to ensure that production parts comply with specifications. Each mold includes ¼” diameter tooling holes and a drill jig to index the part in the next operation.

Odyssey Industries produces a steel bond tool, used to join the inner and outer skin around a core, and an aluminum milling fixture for 5-axis machining. The holding fixture utilizes vacuum clamping to secure the part during machining operations. Both tools include removable, hand-held drill jigs and locate cured engineering parts using the tooling holes drilled from the layup mold.

Global Tooling systems manufactures the steel assembly fixture, which will be used to locate all brackets and details. The engineering part is originally located on the assembly jig utilizing the same tooling holes drilled from the layup mold.